Selective call radio receivers such as pagers alert a user of a received message. Such devices generally incorporate a radio receiver capable of producing either an audible alert which may be heard by the user or a tactile alert such as a vibrating sensation which may be felt by the user. Some pagers provide the additional features of a voice message following the alert or a message visually displayed on a screen.
Each selective call receiver is identified by a specific address that typically precedes each message. When a selective call receiver receives a message including the selective call receiver address, the message is stored within a memory. The message may be short, e.g., a phone number, or it may be long, e.g., a detailed business report or a facsimile. As advances in technology provide for greater capability of storing these received messages as digital information, the length of messages transmitted will increase.
Receiving long messages may provide a dilemma for the user of the selective call receiver in that the user may be in a situation in which it is not desirable to take the time to read the long message. However, the user previously was unable to determine the length of the received message prior to reading the message. Therefore, the user could have initiated the reading of a long message only having to stop part way through the message, thereby wasting time and concentration.